


Worlds Apart

by PetitAvocat



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Crack, Crossover, M/M, Post-Mass Effect 3, i promise it'll get good, just bear with me on this one, well i hope it will anyway
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-24
Updated: 2014-09-06
Packaged: 2018-01-16 20:10:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1360201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetitAvocat/pseuds/PetitAvocat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Normandy crash-lands on an uncharted world at the end of ME3.</p><p>That world is Thedas.</p><p>Crack ensues.</p><p>(Also smut. Eventually.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A few days after they crash-land on the unknown planet, Kaidan takes James and Garrus in a scouting party, venturing further than they’ve yet gone, further than necessary for food. But if they don’t explore they’ll never know what kind of planet they’re on, or if there’s any kind of sentient life here – life that might help them fix their ship, tell them where the nearest mass relay is, or have tips for surviving the heat and occasionally-hostile flora and fauna they’ve encountered so far.

The first time a tree came to life and attacked them? That was a nasty shock, though fortunately bullets seemed to work just as well on trees as they did on Reaper forces.

After an hour of traipsing through the jungle, it starts to thin out, turning into trees and grass and rivers instead of vines and swamps. It seems a little more habitable, the air less thick here, and the three of them exchange glances, thinking the same thing – maybe they can move the crew out here, if it comes to needing a more hospitable camp location.

None of them really wants to think about how long they  _might_  be here.

A little further out, they hear faint, familiar sounds of battle. Not gunfire, but shouting, and what sounds like the clanging of swords – odd, but battle is battle. They draw their weapons, Kaidan activates his biotic barrier, and they drop automatically into stealth, Kaidan taking point and using the trees as cover as they draw nearer to the sounds.

When they get within sight of the battle, they all stop, staring in confusion. None of the combatants are… well, _any_  race they’ve seen before. There are several huge, hulking, grotesque creatures that remind Kaidan vaguely of husks, except bigger, and more like something out of a dark, twisted fairytale. Smarter, too, by the way they’re fighting.

At first glance it seems like an unfair fight. The creatures have a smaller figure completely surrounded, and their leering grins suggest that they know they have the upper hand.

When he can get a clear view of the small figure, Kaidan is struck with a strong sense of déjà vu. He realizes that it reminds him of the first time he saw an Asari, and the almost uncanny-valley sensation of seeing someone who looks so very human, but is so very alien at the same time. This figure is shorter than most humans he’s seen, slender but muscular, shoulder-length blond hair framing tanned skin. Elegant tattoos wend along the side of his face. He is wielding two beautiful, deadly-looking blades, and as the soldiers watch, he takes down two of the hellish creatures in quick succession.

He is grinning too, and Kaidan’s stomach flips with déjà vu once again – except this time, he is reminded of Shepard in the midst of battle, facing death like she was looking into a mirror.

The… _man_ , for lack of a better term, defends himself against a blow from one of the few creatures left standing, but a larger one grabs him from behind while he’s distracted. He struggles, the thing’s hand around his neck and blade poised to strike.

Before Kaidan can think, well-honed instincts kick in and he leaps out from cover, throwing a precise  _reave_  at the creature. It falls, and the small figure gracefully decapitates the final creature left standing before turning to his rescuer.

"I thank you, truly," he says in a heavily-accented baritone purr. One eyebrow raises in curiosity. "But I must ask. Are you a mage? What nature of magic is this, that you use?"

Kaidan blinks. Unfamiliar with biotics? Fighting with daggers? Where are they, exactly?

”I’m not a…” Even saying the word _mage_ seems ridiculous, so he cuts himself off. “I’m a human. A human biotic.”

"Biotic?" The man sounds out the word carefully. ”Hmm. I have never come across such skills.” He cocks his head as he regards Kaidan, and looks as though he is about to say something more – but he tenses suddenly, eyes focusing on something behind Kaidan.

Biotics flaring again, Kaidan turns, expecting more of the attacking creatures. Instead he sees Garrus and James, moving through the foliage towards them, and relaxes.

"No need to worry," he says. "They’re friends."

The man has not taken his eyes off Garrus. “What… what _are_ you? Some new form of darkspawn, or a demon?”

Garrus blinks, but puts away his gun and holds up his hands. “I’m a Turian. No harm intended.”

This seems only to agitate him more, and Kaidan realizes that he doesn’t have the translation implants. This planet must not even be aware that there are others out there.

“He said he’s a Turian. It’s another species, but he’s friendly. We’re all friendly. We don’t mean any harm.”

The man still looks wary, but he accepts Kaidan’s explanation with a nod.

"Very well. I am Zevran Arainai." He executes a quick bow and steps forward, extending a hand, and it’s only then that Kaidan realizes exactly what is _off_ about him. His braided blond hair frames very long, very pointed ears. It reminds him of creatures he used to read about when he was a child, and before he can stop himself, he blurts out.

"Are you… are you an elf?"

Zevran chuckles, a molasses-rich sound.

"But of course. You seem surprised."

"… I am. We don’t… I’ve never met an elf before."  Kaidan pauses, then takes Zevran’s warm, sure grip.

"My name is Kaidan Alenko."

"Kaidan. Charmed, I am sure."


	2. Chapter 2

“This is James Vega,” Kaidan says, “and the turian is Garrus Vakarian.”

“Where do you call home?”  Zevran is casually spinning one of his daggers in his left hand, and Kaidan is certain it’s not an unintentional gesture.

“He and I – ”  He gestures to James – “are from Earth.  Garrus is from Palaven.”

Zevran tilts his head, eyebrows knitting together.  “I have not heard of these towns.  Are they small?  In what nations are they found?”

“Oh, uh.  They’re planets.”

The dagger stops spinning.  “Planets?”

James steps forward.  “Yeah, you know, like…”  He makes a vague motion towards the sky.  “Up there.  Other planets.  Like this one.”

Zevran’s eyes flick from Kaidan to James to Garrus and back to Kaidan.  His face is a portrait of uncertainty, but after an extended beat of silence he breaks out in laughter.

“Oh, that was good, very good!  I am too trusting in my old age, I think.  Really, though, my friends, what nation do you call home?”

Kaidan glances back at James.  “Uh… no, he wasn’t joking.  There are dozens of other planets out there, just like this one.  And there are more species, too.  Asari, krogan, quarian…”

“Qunari, do you mean?  Qunari are here, too, but I did not realize – ”

“Wait, did he say canaries?”

Kaidan shushes James, and turns back to Zevran.  “No, not, uh… koonary?  Quarians.  I think they’re probably different.”

“Ah.”  Zevran’s dagger starts spinning again.  “So you really are from the sky, eh?  How did you come to be here?”

“We…”  Kaidan looks back at Garrus, who shakes his head.  The Reapers are just too much to try and explain, so Kaidan cuts it short.  “Our ship crashed a few days ago.  We don’t know how long we’ll be here.”

“A ship?  You sailed here from the stars?”

“In… a manner of speaking.”

“How very strange.  May I see it?”  There’s an eager glint in Zevran’s eyes that reminds Kaidan of Shepard once again – up against something new and challenging and world-changing, and walking into it gleefully instead of hesitating or turning away.

And so Kaidan shrugs.  “I don’t see why not.”

The four of them make the trek back, Garrus and James leading the way, Kaidan and Zevran a few steps behind.  Every now and then Kaidan asks Zevran to identify an unfamiliar plant or nut or berry, asking if it’s edible or poisonous or useful for healing.  The elf seems delighted to share his knowledge, and Kaidan finds himself getting lost in Zevran’s accent and the crinkles at his eyes when he smiles.

He almost doesn’t notice when they reach the Normandy again, but Zevran stops mid-stride and mid-sentence.

“That is … that is like no ship I have ever seen.”

“It’s a spaceship.  We’re from… very far away.  I don’t even know how far.”

“But you crashed, no?  Your ship is broken?”

“For now.”  Kaidan rubs his hands across his face, realizing belatedly that he’s sweating in his fatigues.  “I don’t know how long it’ll take us to fix it.  We all want to get home.”

James half-turns to gauge Zevran’s reaction.  “What do you think of her, Stabby?  Pretty impressive, no?”

There’s no answer from Zevran, who is too busy circling the Normandy, but at the prolonged silence he turns to find everyone watching him.

“I am sorry – was that question directed at me?”

“Yeah!  You like her?”

“It – _she_ – is a marvel.”  He pauses, and then turns to James again.  “What did you call me?”

“Stabby!  Great nickname, huh?”

Kaidan can only shrug helplessly.  “He does this.”

Zevran goes back to his inspection, Kaidan trailing behind him, until he comes upon a small section of the hull that’s been peeled away.  EDI is kneeling in front of it examining some of the mechanics.  Zevran approaches and taps on her shoulder, looking back at Kaidan with wonder.

“How lifelike!”

He turns back to EDI to find her watching him.  She blinks.  Zevran yelps and jumps backwards.

“You must be a very powerful mage indeed, to enchant a statue so!”

Kaidan has to stifle a laugh.  “She’s not a statue.  EDI, this is Zevran.  He’s a … um.  A native of… uh.”

“We are in Ferelden, serah, though I am not a native of this country.  I hail from Antiva, across the sea.”

EDI stands gracefully and offers a hand.  “I am an artificial intelligence known as the Enhanced Defense Intelligence, or EDI for short.  I am pleased to see that not all life on this planet is hostile.”

Zevran grins at her.  “Most of it is, I regret to inform you.  How fascinating!  A living statue.”

“I am quite a bit more than a statue, but I believe that comment could be interpreted as a compliment, in which case I thank you.”  She tilts her head, a gesture that has become much more natural since she began practicing it.  “You are dressed very strangely.”

“Ah, to you it may seem so – but I am not the one who flew in from the sky with a biotic mage and a metal person, no?”

“I guess we all must seem pretty bizarre to you, huh?” Kaidan says, and Zevran laughs, deep and genuine.

“That you are, indeed.  And yet I find that you intrigue me all the more because of it.”


	3. Chapter 3

They give Zevran a tour of the Normandy, and he asks questions, touches the metal in a way that almost makes Kaidan want to give him some privacy.  His grey eyes are sharp and inquisitive.  Gabby loves him – she rarely gets an audience so intent and so complimentary, and for his part, Zevran somehow manages to watch her in a way that is simultaneously respectful and outrageously sexual.

Kaidan wrinkles his nose and looks away, busying himself by fiddling with his omnitool.

“And what is this?  New, orange magic?  Is this different than your blue magic?”

Zevran’s voice is right at his ear, and Kaidan jumps. “I, uh.  This isn’t – I mean, yes, it is different. This isn’t the same thing as biotics – er, as the blue… magic I was using earlier.”  Kaidan feels ridiculous even for just using the word _magic_.  “It’s – here.”  He pokes a bit at the omnitool so Zevran can see what it does, and tries not to notice the dexterity of Zevran’s fingers as he begins poking at the ‘tool himself.

They finish the tour, and Kaidan calls an officers’ meeting with Zevran as the guest of honor.  The crew listens as he explains the culture of Ferelden, and the larger world it is a part of.

“The creatures you so kindly rescued me from are called darkspawn,” he tells them, “and we have just witnessed the ending of a Blight.  The Fifth Blight, if I am to be specific.”

“But there are still darkspawn around?”

“Yes.  I imagine there always will be some, but the archdemon is dead, now, and they are far fewer in number than they were.”

“How did the Blight end?”

Zevran pauses.  “Ah,” he says, and his hands suddenly seem intently interesting. “There was a… small group of companions, led by a Grey Warden.  They – _she_ – united several armies to defeat the archdemon.”

Kaidan and Garrus exchange a look.  “Sounds familiar,” Garrus says, and Kaidan nods.

“We’ve just come from something… weirdly similar, really.”

“Reapers,” Vega says, and the look on his face is far-off. Kaidan hears the memory of a banshee scream in his mind, and thinks that maybe he knows how Vega feels.

After a second, Vega rolls his shoulders, blinks hard, and focuses on Zevran again.  “They were trying to kill all of us, across all the planets in the galaxy. I don’t know how you guys escaped from them here.”

Zevran leans forward.  “And who stopped your Reapers, then?”

The whole crew shifts uncomfortably.  Kaidan clears his throat, and wishes he wasn’t the senior officer.

“I – uh.  Her name was Shepard.  We were her crew.”

Zevran’s expression solemns at the past tense. “More similar than you know,” he murmurs.  “I am sorry.”

There’s an awkward silence, and Kaidan rubs the back of his neck.  Zevran is sitting very still.  James claps once, too-loud, and pushes back from the table.

“Right, Stabby, I hope you all have some kinda edible animals in your forests around here, same as back on Earth.  I’m a little sick of MREs.”

Zevran cocks his head, but seems to let the acronym slide, accustomed by now to terms going over his head.  “Rabbits?  Deer? Boar, perhaps?”

The humans all look at each other.

“Well, that’s creepy,” Traynor says, and Zevran gives her an apologetic smile, reaching over to touch her hand lightly.

“I have found, at times such as this, that it helps the most to simply… accept one’s circumstances.  And, if it is not too unbearable, to try to make the best of things, no?”

Traynor nods and tries to smile back, and EDI speaks up over the comms.  “My observations of organic eating habits lead me to predict that crew members will need supplemental food stores in three to five days.  It is a rational proposal to seek food in the surrounding forest. The engineering crew, as well as Jeff and myself, will remain here to continue working on the Normandy.”

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but…” Tali wrings her hands, glancing over at Garrus.  Zevran, used to foreign languages by now, looks to Kaidan expectantly for a translation.

“She and Garrus – ” he indicates the quarian and turian– “can’t eat the same kind of food we do.  Their… their proteins are different,” he says, gesturing helplessly and not at all sure that Zevran even knows what proteins are.  “They basically get poisoned by our food. So… I guess I’m not sure if they’ll be able to eat your Fereldan food.”

Zevran’s brow furrows, and he taps at his chin for a moment.  “There is an herb growing in some parts of the forest.  It is a key ingredient in the antidotes for many types of poison, and it may be that this herb helps your… er, proteins?”  He raises an eyebrow at Kaidan, who shrugs.

“Worth a shot.”

Zevran explains what the herb looks and smells like, and describes several types of edible mushrooms and berries.

“Alright!  And some meat for the carnivores, no?”  James hefts his gun with a grin, but one look at Zevran confirms what Kaidan is thinking.

“I… I don’t think guns are the best idea here. They might draw attention to us, and we really don’t need more of that right now.”

James rests his gun on his shoulder and puts his other hand on his hip.  “Yeah, okay, L2, but how’re we supposed to kill a deer?  Outrun the thing and wrestle it to the ground?”

“How about biotics?”  Kaidan holds up his hand and shoots a spark between his fingers for emphasis.  “We split up – Zevran, you take someone without biotics.  I’ll go with another non-biotic, and… Liara, you go with James?”

In the end, Traynor volunteers to go with Zevran, and Kaidan and Garrus team up.  James grumbles about not being able to kill anything, but gives Liara a good-natured shoulder bump when she walks over to him.

“Ready to go adventuring, Doc?”

Liara smiles back, and Kaidan thinks it’s the first real smile he’s seen since the crash.  It’s good to see the crew coming back to life – and it would be hard not to, with the vibrancy Zevran carries.

“I believe I am, James,” Liara tells Vega, and the three teams set off in different directions.

After an hour or two of hunting, Kaidan and Garrus still don’t find the herb Zevran described, but Kaidan does kill a large rabbit, two small quail-like birds, and a deer, and they both fill their packs with several types of berries.

“Wish my dad could see me now.”

Garrus raises an eyebrow, and Kaidan shakes his head with a chuckle.  “He always used to try to take me hunting with him.  I hated it.  Much rather pick apples and cook with my mom.  But – ” he hefts the deer draped across his shoulders – “I guess I’m not half bad.”

They hear raucous noise as they hear the Normandy’s crash site, and Kaidan is sure he can pick out Zevran’s voice even over James’s booming laugh.  Garrus clears the forest first, and Kaidan, right behind him, sees Zevran flinch just the tiniest bit.

He smirks.  “Not frightened by an old scarred turian, are you, Zevran?”

Zevran raises an eyebrow, returning the smirk in kind. “I have found that the oldest and most scarred are often most to be feared, no?”

“Wiser than your years, I see.”

“Yet just as wise as my experience.”

Kaidan looks up from unloading their supplies at Zevran’s tone, just in time to catch the momentary dullness in his eyes. Zevran blinks and the sparkle is back, almost fast enough that Kaidan doubts whether it was gone at all.

“How did we do on getting food?”  James starts poking through the meat and berries and mushrooms.

“Pretty well,” Traynor tells him, crouching and helping him sort through the piles.  “Zevran’s not a bad hunter –”

Zevran makes an offended noise from across the clearing. “This surprises you?”

“ – and he managed to find a lot of that herb for Garrus and Tali.  They haven’t tried it yet. Chakwas is running some tests first.”

EDI approaches Kaidan as he begins skinning rabbits under Zevran’s tutelage.

“Major, I have made significant progress on the Normandy’s repairs.  However, there is an electrical panel in the lower hull that has been irreparably damaged. It is essential to the ship’s operations.”

“Can we rig up something to replace it? All we need’s enough to get to the nearest mass relay.”

“I am afraid that is too risky.  This panel integrates many of the Normandy’s systems, and if it were to fail during spaceflight the ship’s life support may cease to function.”

“What do we need to fix it?”

“I believe that Engineer Adams, Tali’Zorah, and myself could wire an appropriate piece of metal, but due to the repairs needed for the rest of the ship, we no longer have sufficient scraps to re-make the panel.”

“Can’t someone fabricate it with an omnitool?”

“It’s too delicate,” Tali says, coming up behind EDI. “And too big.  We can’t make something that intricate with the ‘tools we have.”

Zevran speaks up, right at Kaidan’s shoulder. “I know someone who could.”


End file.
